Reception honors artists

The SEK Art Fest Steering Committee, in conjunction with the Pittsburg State University Department of Art, will host a reception Thursday for all of the artists who submitted a proposal for this year’s inaugural festival.

The SEK Art Fest Steering Committee, in conjunction with the Pittsburg State University Department of Art, will host a reception Thursday for all of the artists who submitted a proposal for this year’s inaugural festival.

The reception will take place at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 7, inside PSU’s Porter Hall, and it will give the artists who submitted a coal bucket design a chance to meet and converse about all things art.

“Not only were we very impressed by the level of interest in SEK Art Fest among area artists, we are also extremely appreciative that they want to be a part of this event,” Jordaine Pollard, SEK Art Fest artist relations chairperson, said. “This reception is one way we are saying ‘thank you’ and celebrating the talented artists we have in this community and throughout the region.”

Rhona Shand, chairperson of the PSU Department of Art, said the reception will allow the artists and everyone involved in SEK Art Fest to “bask in the success of the event.”

“It is so wonderful that the artistic community stepped up the way that it did to support SEK Art Fest and to promote the arts,” Shand said. “We are very excited to welcome these artists to PSU’s Porter Hall and to celebrate the creative enrichment of Pittsburg”

A panel of judges is currently reviewing the 58 applications. Formal letters will be sent to the artists on Feb 8. to notify them of the judges’ decision. The judges are Portico Bowman, associate professor in the Department of Art at PSU; Heather Horton, co-owner of Sweet Designs Cakery; and Tim Towner, co-owner of Little’s in downtown Pittsburg.

SEK Art Fest will kick off on May 1, when the coal buckets will be placed along Broadway in downtown Pittsburg. They will be on display through Sept. 1.

The theme of the art exhibit is "Mining Memories" to celebrate the rich cultural heritage of the Southeast Kansas region.